Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity accounts for anxiety-and depression-like behaviors in rats perinatally exposed to bisphenol A

Accumulating studies have proved that perinatal exposure to environmental dose causes long-term potentiation in anxiety/depression-related behaviors in rats. Hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis is one of the most consistent biological findings in anxiety- and depression-related disorders. The HPA axis is reported to be susceptible to developmental reprogramming. The present study focused on HPA reactivity in postnatal day （PND） 80 male rats exposed perinatally to environmental-dose BPA. When female breeders were orally administered 2 μg/（kg.day） BPA from gestation day 10 to lactation day 7, their offspring （PND 80 BPA-exposed rats） showed obvious anxiety/depression-like behaviors. Notably, significant increase in serum corticosterone and adrenocorticotropin, and corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA were detected in BPA-exposed rats before or after the mild stressor. Additionally, the level of glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the hippocampus, but not the hypothalamus, was decreased in BPA-exposed rats. The levels of hippocampal mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA, neuronal nitric oxide synthase and phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein were increased in BPA-exposed rats. In addition, the testosterone level was in BPA-exposed rats. The results indicate that reprogramming-induced hyperactivity of the HPA axis is an important link between perinatal BPA exposure and persistent potentiation in anxiety and depression.

Di-(n-butyl)-phthalate-induced Oxidative Stress and Depression-like Behavior in Mice with or without Ovalbumin Immunization

Objective To investigate the relationship between atopic allergy and depression and the role of DBP in the development of depression. Methods BALB/c mice were randomly divided into eight groups：saline;ovalbumin （OVA）-immunized;saline＋DBP （0.45 mg/kg·183;d）; saline＋DBP （45 mg/kg·d）; DBP （0.45 mg/kg·d） OVA-immunized; DBP （45 mg/kg·d） OVA-immunized; saline＋hydrocortisone （30 mg/kg·d）; and hydrocortisone （30 mg/kg·d）-exposed OVA-immunized. Behavior （e.g. open-field, tail suspension, and forced swimming tests）, viscera coefficients （brain and spleen）, oxidative damage [e.g. reactive oxygen species （ROS）, malondialdehyde （MDA）, and glutathione （GSH）], as well as levels of IgE and IL-4, were then analyzed. Results In the saline and OVA groups, the degree of depression symptoms in mice increased with increasing DBP concentration. Additionally, the OVA-immunity groups were associated with more serious depressive behavior compared with the same exposure concentration in the saline group. Oxidative damage was associated with a dose-dependent increase in DBP in the different groups. IL-4 and IgE levels were associated with low-dose DBP stimulation, which changed to high-dose inhibition with increasing DBP exposure, possibly due to spleen injury seen at high DBP concentrations.Conclusion Development of an atopic allergy has the potential to increase the risk of depression in mice, and it seems that DBP helps OVA to exert its effect in our present model. Moreover, the results of our study implicate a certain connection between brain oxidative stress and depression, which deserves a further exploration.

A red pomegranate fruit extract-based formula ameliorates anxiety/depression-like behaviors via enhancing serotonin (5-HT) synthesis in C57BL/6 male mice

This study investigated the anti-anxiety/anti-depression potential of a formula containing red pomegranate fruit extract(RPFE;40%,m/m),Lactobacillus rhamnosus(JB-1)(34%,m/m),magnesium gluconate(25%,m/m)and vanillin(1%,m/m).The RPFE formula(dose:2.0,1.5 or 1.0 mg/g·day)reversed behavioral dysfunctions and body weight gain induced by chronic restraint stress combined with corticosterone injection in C57BL/6 male mice.The RPFE formula exhibited the abilities to normalize the levels of serum infl ammatory cytokines(NF-κB,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1βand IFN-γ)and malondialdehyde(MDA),and activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT)and nitric oxide synthase(NOS),as well as relieve the injury of hippocampal neurons.The serotonin(5-HT)levels in hippocampus were increasingly enhanced,which might be mediated by reducing the activity of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase(IDO)and increasing the activity of tryptophan hydroxylase(TPH).Thus,the neuroprotective and ameliorating effects on anxiety/depression-like behaviors resulting from the RPFE formula ingestion were possibly related to serotonergic activation,which might be mediated via anti-infl ammatory and anti-oxidant actions.

Xylooligosaccharides Alleviate Inflammatory Dermatoses and Related Depression-Like Behaviors in Atopic Dermatitis Mice Induced by 2,4-Dinitrofluorobenzene

Objective:To investigate the influence of xylooligosaccharides on skin inflammation,behavioral characteristics,neurotransmitters,and gut flora in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis(AD)induced by 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene(DNFB).Methods:The AD mouse model was created by administration of DNFB for 14 consecutive days.The scoring atopic dermatitis index,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),histopathology,and immunohistochemical analyses were used to assess inflammation and depression-like behaviors.Furthermore,high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to determine the composition of fecal microbiota.Results:Xylooligosaccharides treatment reduced the number of scratches and skin thickness,mast cell infiltration and the levels of immunoglobulin(Ig)E and T-helper cytokines compared with the AD model group.Meanwhile,xylooligosaccharides treatment reduced the immobility time of mice in the forced swimming test and increased the total movement distance and movement distance in the center area in the open-field test.Furthermore,5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine expression in the brain was increased following xylooligosaccharides treatment.Using network pharmacology,Gene Ontology analysis showed that the targets were mainly enriched in phosphatase binding and the regulation of leukocyte differentiation,which ameliorated AD mainly through the hypoxia inducible factor-1 and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B pathways.16S rRNA gene sequencing,diversity indices,and gut microbial taxonomic composition analysis showed DNFB-induced changes in intestinal microbiota diversity in AD mice.Comparative analysis indicated that xylooligosaccharides intake improved the gut microbiome by dramatically enhancing the concentration of Lactobacillus while decreasing the concentration of Bacteroides in mice.Conclusion:Xylooligosaccharides reduce inflammatory dermatosis and related depression-like behaviors via regulating intestinal homeostasis,having medicinal value as a nutritional and functional ingredient.

Peripheral immune cell-derived matrix metalloprotease 8(MMP8):brain trafficking promotes depression-like behavior

In a study recently published in Nature,Cathomas et al.1 report that social stress in mice increases the levels of matrix metalloprotease(MMP)8 in circulating immune cells,thereby altering extracellular space(ECS)and neuronal activity,and ultimately social behavior in susceptible animals.Behavioral deficits resembled those from major depressive disorder(MDD)raising the prospect of MMP8 as a new druggable target in tailored treatments.

Pre-mating nitenpyram exposure in male mice leads to depression-like behavior in offspring by affecting tryptophan metabolism in gut microbiota

Several studies have confirmed that the health status of the paternal affects the health of the offspring,however,it remains unknown whether paternal exposure to pesticides affect the offspring health.Here,we used untargeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA sequencing technology,combined with tail suspension test and RT-qPCR to explore the effects of paternal exposure to nitenpyram on the neurotoxicity of offspring.Our results found that the paternal exposure to nitenpyram led to the offspring’s depressive-like behaviors,accompanied by the reduction of tryptophan content and the disorder of microbial abundance in the gut of the offspring.Further,we determined the expression of tryptophan metabolism-related genes tryptophanase(tnaA)and tryptophan hydroxylase 1(TpH1)in gut bacteria and colonic tissues.We found that tryptophan is metabolized to indoles rather than being absorbed into colonocytes,which coursed the reduce of tryptophan availability after nitenpyram exposure.In conclusion,our study deepens our understanding of the intergenerational toxic effects of pesticides.

Integrated ribosome and proteome analyses reveal insights into sevoflurane-induced long-term social behavior and cognitive dysfunctions through ADNP inhibition in neonatal mice

A growing number of studies have demonstrated that repeated exposure to sevoflurane during development results in persistent social abnormalities and cognitive impairment.Davunetide,an active fragment of the activity-dependent neuroprotective protein(ADNP),has been implicated in social and cognitive protection.However,the potential of davunetide to attenuate social deficits following sevoflurane exposure and the underlying developmental mechanisms remain poorly understood.In this study,ribosome and proteome profiles were analyzed to investigate the molecular basis of sevoflurane-induced social deficits in neonatal mice.The neuropathological basis was also explored using Golgi staining,morphological analysis,western blotting,electrophysiological analysis,and behavioral analysis.Results indicated that ADNP was significantly down-regulated following developmental exposure to sevoflurane.In adulthood,anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)neurons exposed to sevoflurane exhibited a decrease in dendrite number,total dendrite length,and spine density.Furthermore,the expression levels of Homer,PSD95,synaptophysin,and vglut2 were significantly reduced in the sevoflurane group.Patch-clamp recordings indicated reductions in both the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents(mEPSCs).Notably,davunetide significantly ameliorated the synaptic defects,social behavior deficits,and cognitive impairments induced by sevoflurane.Mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of ADNP led to dysregulation of Ca^(2+)activity via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling,resulting in decreased expression of synaptic proteins.Suppression of Wnt signaling was restored in the davunetide-treated group.Thus,ADNP was identified as a promising therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of neurodevelopmental toxicity caused by general anesthetics.This study provides important insights into the mechanisms underlying social and cognitive disturbances caused by sevoflurane exposure in neonatal mice and elucidates the regulatory pathways involved.

A Comparative Study on the Post-Buckling Behavior of Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes(RTPs)Under External Pressure Considering Progressive Failure

The collapse pressure is a key parameter when RTPs are applied in harsh deep-water environments.To investigate the collapse of RTPs,numerical simulations and hydrostatic pressure tests are conducted.For the numerical simulations,the eigenvalue analysis and Riks analysis are combined,in which the Hashin failure criterion and fracture energy stiffness degradation model are used to simulate the progressive failure of composites,and the“infinite”boundary conditions are applied to eliminate the boundary effects.As for the hydrostatic pressure tests,RTP specimens were placed in a hydrostatic chamber after filled with water.It has been observed that the cross-section of the middle part collapses when it reaches the maximum pressure.The collapse pressure obtained from the numerical simulations agrees well with that in the experiment.Meanwhile,the applicability of NASA SP-8007 formula on the collapse pressure prediction was also discussed.It has a relatively greater difference because of the ignorance of the progressive failure of composites.For the parametric study,it is found that RTPs have much higher first-ply-failure pressure when the winding angles are between 50°and 70°.Besides,the effect of debonding and initial ovality,and the contribution of the liner and coating are also discussed.

Neurophysiological, histological, and behavioral characterization of animal models of distraction spinal cord injury: a systematic review

Distraction spinal cord injury is caused by some degree of distraction or longitudinal tension on the spinal cord and commonly occurs in patients who undergo corrective operation for severe spinal deformity.With the increased degree and duration of distraction,spinal cord injuries become more serious in terms of their neurophysiology,histology,and behavior.Very few studies have been published on the specific characteristics of distraction spinal cord injury.In this study,we systematically review 22 related studies involving animal models of distraction spinal cord injury,focusing particularly on the neurophysiological,histological,and behavioral characteristics of this disease.In addition,we summarize the mechanisms underlying primary and secondary injuries caused by distraction spinal cord injury and clarify the effects of different degrees and durations of distraction on the primary injuries associated with spinal cord injury.We provide new concepts for the establishment of a model of distraction spinal cord injury and related basic research,and provide reference guidelines for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Unveiling the brain’s symphony:exploring the necessity and sufficiency of neural networks in behavior control

Since the pioneering work by Broca and Wernicke in the 19th century,who examined individuals with brain lesions to associate them with specific behaviors,it was evident that behaviors are complex and cannot be fully attributable to specific brain areas alone.Instead,they involve connectivity among brain areas,whether close or distant.At that time,this approach was considered the optimal way to dissect brain circuitry and function.These pioneering efforts opened the field to explore the necessity or sufficiency of brain areas in controlling behavior and hence dissecting brain function.However,the connectivity of the brain and the mechanisms through which various brain regions regulate specific behaviors,either individually or collaboratively,remain largely elusive.Utilizing animal models,researchers have endeavored to unravel the necessity or sufficiency of specific brain areas in influencing behavior;however,no clear associations have been firmly established.

Cluster DetectionMethod of Endogenous Security Abnormal Attack Behavior in Air Traffic Control Network

In order to enhance the accuracy of Air Traffic Control(ATC)cybersecurity attack detection,in this paper,a new clustering detection method is designed for air traffic control network security attacks.The feature set for ATC cybersecurity attacks is constructed by setting the feature states,adding recursive features,and determining the feature criticality.The expected information gain and entropy of the feature data are computed to determine the information gain of the feature data and reduce the interference of similar feature data.An autoencoder is introduced into the AI(artificial intelligence)algorithm to encode and decode the characteristics of ATC network security attack behavior to reduce the dimensionality of the ATC network security attack behavior data.Based on the above processing,an unsupervised learning algorithm for clustering detection of ATC network security attacks is designed.First,determine the distance between the clustering clusters of ATC network security attack behavior characteristics,calculate the clustering threshold,and construct the initial clustering center.Then,the new average value of all feature objects in each cluster is recalculated as the new cluster center.Second,it traverses all objects in a cluster of ATC network security attack behavior feature data.Finally,the cluster detection of ATC network security attack behavior is completed by the computation of objective functions.The experiment took three groups of experimental attack behavior data sets as the test object,and took the detection rate,false detection rate and recall rate as the test indicators,and selected three similar methods for comparative test.The experimental results show that the detection rate of this method is about 98%,the false positive rate is below 1%,and the recall rate is above 97%.Research shows that this method can improve the detection performance of security attacks in air traffic control network.

Prospect Theory Based Individual Irrationality Modelling and Behavior Inducement in Pandemic Control

Understanding and modeling individuals’behaviors during epidemics is crucial for effective epidemic control.However,existing research ignores the impact of users’irrationality on decision-making in the epidemic.Meanwhile,existing disease control methods often assume users’full compliance with measures like mandatory isolation,which does not align with the actual situation.To address these issues,this paper proposes a prospect theorybased framework to model users’decision-making process in epidemics and analyzes how irrationality affects individuals’behaviors and epidemic dynamics.According to the analysis results,irrationality tends to prompt conservative behaviors when the infection risk is low but encourages risk-seeking behaviors when the risk is high.Then,this paper proposes a behavior inducement algorithm to guide individuals’behaviors and control the spread of disease.Simulations and real user tests validate our analysis,and simulation results show that the proposed behavior inducement algorithm can effectively guide individuals’behavior.

Coke behavior with H_(2)O in a hydrogen-enriched blast furnace:A review

Hydrogen-enriched blast furnace ironmaking has become an essential route to reduce CO_(2)emissions in the ironmaking process.However,hydrogen-enriched reduction produces large amounts of H_(2)O,which places new demands on coke quality in a blast furnace.In a hydrogen-rich blast furnace,the presence of H_(2)O promotes the solution loss reaction.This result improves the reactivity of coke,which is 20%-30%higher in a pure H_(2)O atmosphere than in a pure CO_(2)atmosphere.The activation energy range is 110-300 kJ/mol between coke and CO_(2)and 80-170 kJ/mol between coke and H_(2)O.CO_(2)and H_(2)O are shown to have different effects on coke degradation mechanisms.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effect of H_(2)O on the structure and properties of coke.By exploring the interactions between H_(2)O and coke,several unresolved issues in the field requiring further research were identified.This review aims to provide valuable insights into coke behavior in hydrogen-rich environments and promote the further development of hydrogen-rich blast furnace ironmaking processes.

A function-based behavioral modeling method for air combat simulation

ion by proposing multiple levels of cascaded hierarchi-cal structures from the perspective of function,namely,the func-tional decision tree.This method is developed to represent behavioral modeling of air combat systems,and its metamodel,execution mechanism,and code generation can provide a sound basis for function-based behavioral modeling.As a proof of con-cept,an air combat simulation is developed to validate this method and the results show that the fighter Alpha built using the proposed framework provides better performance than that using default scripts.

A Fuzzy Trust Management Mechanism with Dynamic Behavior Monitoring for Wireless Sensor Networks

Traditional wireless sensor networks(WSNs)are typically deployed in remote and hostile environments for information collection.The wireless communication methods adopted by sensor nodes may make the network highly vulnerable to various attacks.Traditional encryption and authentication mechanisms cannot prevent attacks launched by internal malicious nodes.The trust-based security mechanism is usually adopted to solve this problem in WSNs.However,the behavioral evidence used for trust estimation presents some uncertainties due to the open wireless medium and the inexpensive sensor nodes.Moreover,how to efficiently collect behavioral evidences are rarely discussed.To address these issues,in this paper,we present a trust management mechanism based on fuzzy logic and a cloud model.First,a type-II fuzzy logic system is used to preprocess the behavioral evidences and alleviate uncertainty.Then,the cloud model is introduced to estimate the trust values for sensor nodes.Finally,a dynamic behavior monitoring protocol is proposed to provide a balance between energy conservation and safety assurance.Simulation results demonstrate that our trust management mechanism can effectively protect the network from internal malicious attacks while enhancing the energy efficiency of behavior monitoring.

Shear behavior and off-fault damage of saw-cut smooth and tension-induced rough joints in granite

The damage of rock joints or fractures upon shear includes the surface damage occurring at the contact asperities and the damage beneath the shear surface within the host rock.The latter is commonly known as off-fault damage and has been much less investigated than the surface damage.The main contribution of this study is to compare the results of direct shear tests conducted on saw-cut planar joints and tension-induced rough granite joints under normal stresses ranging from 1 MPa to 50 MPa.The shear-induced off-fault damages are quantified and compared with the optical microscope observation.Our results clearly show that the planar joints slip stably under all the normal stresses except under 50 MPa,where some local fractures and regular stick-slip occur towards the end of the test.Both post-peak stress drop and stick-slip occur for all the rough joints.The residual shear strength envelopes for the rough joints and the peak shear strength envelope for the planar joints almost overlap.The root mean square(RMS)of asperity height for the rough joints decreases while it increases for the planar joint after shear,and a larger normal stress usually leads to a more significant decrease or increase in RMS.Besides,the extent of off-fault damage(or damage zone)increases with normal stress for both planar and rough joints,and it is restricted to a very thin layer with limited micro-cracks beneath the planar joint surface.In comparison,the thickness of the damage zone for the rough joints is about an order of magnitude larger than that of the planar joints,and the coalesced micro-cracks are generally inclined to the shear direction with acute angles.The findings obtained in this study contribute to a better understanding on the frictional behavior and damage characteristics of rock joints or fractures with different roughness.

Torque effect on vibration behavior of high-speed train gearbox under internal and external excitations

The high-speed train transmission system,experiencing both the internal excitation originating from gear meshing and the external excitation originating from the wheel-rail interaction,exhibits complex dynamic behavior in the actual service environment.This paper focuses on the gearbox in the high-speed train to carry out the bench test,in which various operat-ing conditions(torques and rotation speeds)were set up and the excitation condition covering both internal and external was created.Acceleration responses on multiple positions of the gearbox were acquired in the test and the vibration behavior of the gearbox was studied.Meanwhile,a stochastic excitation modal test was also carried out on the test bench under different torques,and the modal parameter of the gearbox was identified.Finally,the sweep frequency response of the gearbox under gear meshing excitation was analyzed through dynamic modeling.The results showed that the torque has an attenuating effect on the amplitude of gear meshing frequency on the gearbox,and the effect of external excitation on the gearbox vibration cannot be ignored,especially under the rated operating condition.It was also found that the torque affects the modal param-eter of the gearbox significantly.The torque has a great effect on both the gear meshing stiffness and the bearing stiffness in the transmission system,which is the inherent reason for the changed modal characteristics observed in the modal test and affects the vibration behavior of the gearbox consequently.

Critical behavior of quasi-two-dimensional ferromagnet Cr_(1.04)Te_(2)

The self-intercalation of Cr into pristine two-dimensional(2D) van der Waals ferromagnetic CrTe_(2),which forms chromium tellurides(Cr_(x)Te_(2)),has garnered interest due to their remarkable magnetic characteristics and the wide variety of chemical compositions available.Here,comprehensive basic characterization and magnetic studies are conducted on quasi-2D ferromagnetic Cr_(1.04)Te_(2) crystals.Measurements of the isothermal magnetization curves are conducted around the critical temperature to systematically investigate the critical behavior.Specifically,the critical exponents β=0.2399,γ=0.859,and δ=4.3498,as well as the Curie temperature T_(C)=249.56 K,are determined using various methods,including the modified Arrott plots,the Kouvel-Fisher method,the Widom scaling method,and the critical isotherm analysis.These results indicate that the tricritical mean-field model accurately represents the critical behavior of Cr_(1.04)Te_(2.A magnetic phase diagram with tricritical phenomenon is thus constructed.Further investigations confirm that the critical exponents obtained conform to the scalar equation near T_(C),indicating their self-consistency and reliability.Our work sheds light on the magnetic properties of quasi-2D Cr_(1.04)Te_(2),broadening the scope of the van der Waals crystals for developments of future spintronic devices operable at room temperature.

Ecological Networks of Allometric Growth,Feeding Behavior and Gut Microbiota in Chinese Alligator Hatchlings

Chinese alligator hatchlings in captivity are fragile and have a high mortality rate within first year.The body mass gain of reptile animals is closely related to their feeding behavior and gut microbiota.This study analyzed the intrinsic factors influencing the allometric growth of Chinese alligator hatchlings based on their body mass gain,feeding behavior,and gut microbiota.This information would enhance the health management of Chinese alligator hatchlings.There was a significant correlation between the total distance moved,the average number of conspecifics nearby,and body mass gain.Chinese alligator hatchlings with a greater growth rate showed greater activity and more independent behavior during feeding than those with a lower growth rate.Moreover,after feeding started,some functions of the gut microbiota showed significant relationships with growth rate and feeding activity.Chinese alligator hatchlings with a greater growth rate showed greater levels of heme biosynthesis than those with a lower growth rate,and feeding activity was inhibited by long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis.These results elucidate the relationships between health,feeding behavior,and the gut microbiota of Chinese alligator hatchlings.Understanding the intrinsic factors of their health and feeding behavior can improve the health management of Chinese alligator hatchlings in captivity for conservation.

MD Simulation of Diffusion Behaviors in Collision Welding Processes of Al-Cu, Al-Al, Cu-Cu

To investigate the effects of material combinations and velocity conditions on atomic diffusion behavior near collision interfaces,this study simulates the atomic diffusion behavior near collision interfaces in Cu-Al,Al-Al and Cu-Cu combinations fabricated through collision welding using molecular dynamic(MD)simulation.The atomic diffusion behaviors are compared between similar metal combinations(Al-Al,Cu-Cu)and dissimilar metal combinations(Al-Cu).By combining the simulation results and classical diffusion theory,the diffusion coefficients for similar and dissimilar metal material combinations under different velocity conditions are obtained.The effects of material combinations and collision velocity on diffusion behaviors are also discussed.The diffusion behaviors of dissimilar material combinations strongly depend on the transverse velocity,whereas those of the similar material combinations are more dependent on the longitudinal velocity.These findings can provide guidance for optimizing welding parameters.